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Album Review: Corb Lund's Things That Can't Be Undone

Author of the article:

Sandra Sperounes

Publishing date:

October 5, 2015 • 2 minute read

Alberta country/roots star Corb Lund releases his eighth album of originals, Things That Can't Be Undone, Friday, Oct. 9.Photo by SuppliedWhat does Alberta cowboy Corb Lund have in common with pop star Rihanna?

Both perform songs titled Run This Town.

“I break the rules so I don’t care / So I keep doin’ my own thing,” Rihanna sings on Jay Z’s hip-hop hit, which also features Kanye West.

As much as Lund keeps doin’ his own thing as a roots/country artist — singing about goth girls or the negative effects of the oil industry — he isn’t impervious to heartbreak. “Together, you and I coulda owned this place,” he laments on his version of Run This Town. “If I’da sped up and you’da slowed down, you and me together coulda run this town.”

The twangy, rumbly ditty is one of 10 tracks on his eighth album of originals, Things That Can’t Be Undone, produced by Nashville hotshot Dave Cobb. As usual, Lund shows off his keen eye for detail as a lyricist, but this latest effort also feels more intricate in terms of sonics — and, as a result, feels heftier than his previous output.

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The Edmonton expat, who relocated to southern Alberta in 2013, tackles such subjects as murder (Weight of The Gun), war (Sadr City), the loss of a family farm (S Lazy H), and the battle between art and capitalism (Alt Berliner Blues). Even the arrangements feel heavy — from the smouldering riffs of Sadr City (courtesy of guitarist Grant Siemens) to the ’60s country-blues strut of Talk Too Much to the ’70s-flavoured jangly vibe of Alice Eyes, which is only temporarily lightened by a flourish of lilting strings. This is one of several unexpected moments on the album — I won’t ruin the rest — and what helps to elevate Things That Can’t Be Undone from a solid recording to an unforgettable one.

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Lund has never shied away from tales of loss or farming woes, but he tempered them in previous albums by including a novelty song or two, such as Cows Around and Truck Got Stuck. He’s not quite as playful on Things That Can’t Be Undone — his barbed wit is still intact, but he doesn’t try to be silly to get a laugh. Washed Up Rock Star Factory Blues, for example, stings with the cold, harsh truth about the fickleness of the music industry while referencing Johnny Paycheck’s 1977 hit, Take This Job and Shove It. Based on this album, Lund won’t be looking for another job any time soon. He’ll perform Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets are $32.50 and $45 plus service charges. On sale: Thursday, Oct. 8 at Ticketmaster.ca. Album: Things That Can’t Be UndoneArtist: Corb Lund (New West Records) 4 stars out of 5 ssperounes@edmontonjournal.comtwitter.com/SperounesView on Edmonton Journal

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